Method of forming gear blanks and the like



Nov. 26, 1929. L. 1-. FREDERICK METHOD OF FORMING GEAR BLANKS AND THELIKE Filed March 11, '1927 Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED sTATEs PATENTOFFICE LOUIS T. FREDERICK, VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 FIBROCINSULATION COMPANY, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANAEETHOD'OF FORMING GEAR BLANKS AND THE LIKE Application filed March 11,1927. Serial No. 174,688.

My invention relates to the process of forming composite articles andmore particularly to the process of forming machine elements,

such as gear and pulley blanks from composite.

material.

The object of the invention is to facilitate manufacture and to providea simplified, eflicacious and cost reducing methodpf producing suchelements in which the rim portion is laminated and the remaining portionis composed in whole or in part of molding material. While moldingmaterials of difierent forms may be employed, a desirable one consistsof small pieces of fabric which have been treated with a condensationproduct, such as Bakelite in unreacted form. Another object is to obtainmaximum strength, particularly in the rim portion, and to make sure thatthe slits in the individual laminations will be out of register.

To assist in explaining the invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side View of a finished gearprovided with side plates of sheet material.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing a blank without sideplates of sheet material;

Figure 4 is a side View of the pile of strips when arranged arcuately.

Figure 5 is a view of the pile of perforatedstrips before being fanned.

Figure 6 is a view of the pile of strips after being fanned; and 1Figure 7 is a plan view of a pile of sheet material showing the mannerof cutting the V-shaped holes and severing the strips from the sheets. aI

In carrying out my invention according to g the preferred plan I takesheet material, preferably woven fabric, which has been treated with a'condensation product in unrea'cted form and allowed to dry. I then lay anumber of these sheets 10 in a pile with their ends substantially flushwith each other, that is, coterminous. thenlpass the pile of sheetsunder a gang punch with the edge 12 of the sheets disposed so that whenthe punches descend they will cut substantially V-shaped or wedge-shapedholes 14 in the marginal portions of the sheets of the pile. The holeshave their apices 16 spaced from the edge 12 of the sheets. I prefer toarrange the sheets relatively to the line of descent of the cutters sothat the apices are slightly spaced from I then cut the pile of sheetsalong a line 18 parallel with the marginal line 12. This line of cut 18not only forms the pile of strips 20 but also by intersecting the holesor cutouts 14, forms the strips with the ends of the holes or slitsopening onto the margins of the strips as clearly shown in Figure 5 ofthe drawings. In this manner the holes which are formed in the stripsextend substantially the width of the strips. I have discovered that byforming the holes of such relative width they perniit themostadvantageous bending and arrangement in the circumferential portionsof the mold, especially where each strip is bent into ring shape withits opposite ends adjacent.

After the pile of perforated or slitted strips is thus formed I fan orstagger them as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. This fanningoperation is preferably done while the strips are arcuately positionedin the mold, although it ma be done before the strips are so positioneBy fanning the pile of strips the holes 14 and ends 22 of the strips 20are staggered and overlapped as shown in Figure 4. After the strips arepositioned in the mold, weighed amounts of molding material are placedin the mold to form the web portions of the blank. This molding materialpreferably consists of wood flour, paper or chopped fabric, pre-treatedwith condensation roduct, preferably Bakelite. The chopped abric isformed by treating sheets of woven fabric with condensation product,allowing it to dry and thereafter chopping it up.

When the strips and molding material are properly positioned in the moldthey are subjected to heat and pressure to form them into the completedblank as is well known in the art.

In Figure 2 of the drawings I have shown a section of a completed blankhaving a metal hub 24, a web portion 26 of molded material, and a rimportion 28 of the perforated strips, all united in a single,consolidated mass by heat and pressure acting upon the condensationtreated material, and there being no line of cleavage between the moldedmaterial and the strips. In this blank the upper and lower faces of theweb and rim are faced with woven sheet material 30 also pretreated withcondensation product and consolidated with the material of the blank byheat and pressure. The use of these facing plates 30 is not essentialbut is desirable because of the finished appearance produced.

y the use ofmy improved process of forming the strips of condensationtreated material from'the sheets I am able to manufacture these blanksvery economically and in the minimum of time. There is very littlewaste, and by forming the holes when the material is in piles of sheetsof extended area the holes are more easily cut and without danger of theholes slipping out-of registration laterall'y. Furthermore by thisarrangement the cutting operation which severs the strips from thesheets also completes the formation of the open-ended holes. In thismanner of forming the piles of strips, the strips may easil be handledand fanned to bring about over apping of the ends and slits whenthestrIips are positioned in the mold. i

. aving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In the method of forming compositearticles, the steps of forming a stack of strips of sheet material withspaced notches arranged so that the base of the notch is open at themargin of the strip and the apex of the notch is spaced from theopposite edge of the strip, and arranging the strips arcuately andshifting them 'endwise with respect to each other to thereby close thenotches and bring them out of register with each other.

2. In the method of forming composite articles, the steps (1f forming apile ofrelatively narrow strips of sheet material with spaced ,V-shapedholes, with the apices of the holes slightly-spaced from o'needge ofeach strip and with the base of the holes opening onto the other edge ofeach strip, and thereafter fanning the strips to stagger the holes andends of the strips. v 3. In the method of'forming composite articles,the steps of forming a pile of relatively narrow strips of sheetmaterial with spaced V-shaped holes, with the apices of the holesslightly spaced from one edge of each strip and with the base of theholes opening onto the other edge of each strip, and arranging spacedapart longitudinally of the strip and with each slit extending outwardlyand having its outer end slightly spaced from the outer edge of thestrip and with its inner end intersecting the inner edge of the strip,said pile of strips being arranged in staggered relationship whereby tolaw the ends and, slits of the strips of the pile and means for holdingthe strips together in relatively staggered relationship.

5. A composite article having at its peripheral portions a pile ofstrips of sheet material disposed in arcuate formation with the oppositeends of each sti'ip adjacent each other to form a substantial ring, eachstrip in the pile havinga plurality of slits spaced apart longitudinallyof the strip, each slit extending outwardly and havin its outer endspaced from the outer edge 0 the strip and with its inner endintersecting the inner edge of the strip, said pile of strips beingfanned whereby to stagger the ends and slits of the strips of the pileand means for holding the strips together in relatively staggeredrelationship.

6. A composite article having a peripheral portion formed of a pile ofstrips of sheet material arranged in arcuate formation, the oppositeends of each strip being arran ed in contiguous relationship to form asu stantially annular ring, each strip having a series of slits formedtherein at spaced intervals and spaced from the inner edge of the stripto adj acentthe outer edge and the adj a-v cent strips o;t said pilebeing arranged-in relatively staggered relationship and means forholding the strips together in relatively staggered relationship.

7. A composite article having a peripheral portion comprising a pile ofstrips of sheet materialgeach strip being curved to form an annulus andhaving opposite ends abutting, said strips having spaced; slits arrangedtherein and extending from onecedge of the strip to adjacent the otheredge, and adjacent strips of said angular portion being arranged instaggered relationship and means for gered relationship.

holding the strips together in relatively stagsheet material providedwith spaced registering slits extending from an edge of each strip to apoint spaced from the opposite edge and the step of shifting theindividual strips endwise with respect to each other to thereby bringthe slits out of register.

9. In the method of forming composite articles, the step of forming astack of strips of sheet material provided withspaced registering slitsextending from an edge of each strip to a point spaced from the oppositeedge, the step of shifting the individual strips endwise with respect toeach other to thereby bring the slits out of register and the step ofarranging the pile of strips arcuately.

10. In the method of forming composite articles, the step of forming astack of strips of sheet material impregnated with a suitable heatcuring binder in unreacted form and provided with spaced registeringslits extending from an edge of each strip to a point spaced from theopposite edge and the step of shifting the individual strips endwisewith respect to each other to thereby bring the slits out of register.

11. In the method of forming composite articles, the step of forming astack of strips of sheet material impregnated with a suitableheatcuringbinder in unreacted form and provided with spaced registeringslits extending from an edge of each strip to a point spaced from theopposite edge, the step of shifting the individual strips endwise withrespect to each other to thereby bring the slits out of register, thestep of arranging the pile of strips arcuately, and the step ofcompacting the arcuately arranged strips together under heat andpressure.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LOUIS T. FREDERICK.

